Sign.



Miren bl'rars `Aram LAMBERT ANTON JOSEPH MULLERJTHYM, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

SIGN.

SPECIFICATION' forming part of Letters Patent No. 716,078, datedDecember 16, 1'902. Application led July 23, 1902. Serial No. 116,710-(No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be itknown that I, LAMBERTANTON JOSEPH MULLER-THYM, a subject of theQueen ofthe Netherlands, residing at New ,'York, in the county of NewYork and State of New York, have invented a new and usefulV Sign, ofwhich the following is a specification.

Thisinvention relates to signs, and more particularly to that classwhich can be used in the day-time and illuminated at night.

The object of theinvention is to provide a structure that is easilymanufactured, and therefore comparatively inexpensive, at the same timebeingstrong and durable and not affected to any material extent by theelements.

The preferred embodimentof the invention is fully illustrated in theaccompanying drawings` and. described in the following specification. i

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the front or exposedface of the improved structure. Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of therear face. Fig. 3 is a sectional View through the same. Fig. 4 is a Viewin elevation of a slightly-modified form. Fig. 5 is a detail view toshow the reflecting coating.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawlngs. i

In this embodiment of the invention a faceplate is employed, which isformed of sheet met-al, intermediate portions of said plate beingstamped or struck in from one side and projecting from .the oppositeside, forminga suitable character, in this instance shown as the letterR. `The central portion of this stamped letter is cut out, as shown at1l, to form an opening Jthrough the faceplate, said opening conformingto the shape of the letter and being of less width than the stampedportion, as clearly illustrated in Figs. l, 2,

and 3. As a result oppositely-disposed overhanging flanges 12 are formedaround the edges of said opening. Theintermediate pori" tion 13 of theplate, which is completely surrounded by the opening, is held in placeby suitable strips 14, which extend from said intermediate portionacross the opening, as shown. Other brace-strips, as 15, may also beemployed. Transparent material 16, preferably glass, is cut to the formof the stamped letter or character and is fitted Within the rear portionof the same, as shown in Fig. 2. This material is Wider than the openingand engages the Hanges 12. It is held in place by suitablefastening-tongues 17,that are secured within the stamped portion andextend over the edges of said material, terminating at the opening, asclearly shown in the drawings. In practice the inner face of'tlie sheetis coated with suitable reiiecting material, and the flanges are alsocoated, this coating of the ianges reflecting the light inwardly andserving to make the edges of the transparent letter brighter than thecentral portions, and as a consequence said letter presents a morepleasing appearance. In Fig. 4 the construction is substantially thesame, with the exception that a plurality of spaced openings are formedin the stamped portion instead of a continuous opening, as isillustra-ted in the first three figures. In practice these letters mayeach be formed on a separate plate and afterward secured together toform the sign, a sign so constructed forming, of course, the front faceof a suitable casing,

within which the lights are housed, or a plu- ,rality of lettersconstructed by a special die may be formed in a single sheet.

There are many advantages for this structure. ln the first place, withthe exception of the transparent material, it is constructed entirely ofmetal, and is therefore not affected to any great extent by theelements. By stamping the letters or other characters from the platesaid letters or characters are raised, which is a very desirable featurein signs, and, furthermore, the outstanding flanges serve to strengthenthe sheet and prevent its being bent. The glass is entirely housedwithin the shaped portion, so that the inner face of the sheet issmooth, and, furthermore, the glass is protected by the surroundingfianges.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, andmany advantages of the herein-described invention will be apparent tothose skilled in the art without further description, and it will beunderstood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion, andminor details of construction may be resorted to without departingfromIOO the spirit or sacriicing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure byLetters Patent, is-

1. In a sign, a face-plate having a portion stamped from the same andprojecting from one face, said portion being provided with openingsformin ga design or character, transparent material fitted in thestamped portion and 'covering the openings, and tongues secured to theface-plate and engaging the transparent material to `bhold the latter inplace.

2. In a sign, a sheet-metal plate having a portion stamped in outlinefrom the body thereof and being provided with an opening, said stampedportion projecting from one side of the plate, leaving a correspondingrecess in the opposite side, the raised character or design providingoutstanding flanges which serve to strengthen the plate while the recessforms a receptacle or pocket, in combination with transparent materialarranged in said receptacle or pocket and covering the opening, andfastening means secured to the faceplate and engaging the transparentmaterial to hold the latter in place, said fastening means terminatingat the opening, so as to be invisible from the outer side of the plate.

3. In a sign, a face-plate having a design or character stamped from thesame and projecting from one face, said design or character beingprovided with an opening that conforms to the shape of the same, theWidth of the opening being less than the width of the design orcharacter, whereby keeper-anges are formed on opposite sidesl of thesame, transparent material tted between the iianges and extending acrossthe opening, and fastening-tongues arranged in the stamped portions ofthe plate and engaging over the edges of the transparent material.

4. In a sign, a face-plate having an opening therethrough andoutstanding anges arranged on opposite sides thereof, transparentmaterial arranged over the opening and held in place against theilanges, and a reective coating arranged upon the inner faces of theflanges.

5. In a sign, a plate having a character or design stamped in outlinefrom the body thereof, said stamped portion being provided with anopening, the stamped portion projecting from one side of the plate andleaving a corresponding recess at the opposite side, the raisedcharacter or design providing outstanding iian ges which serve tostrengthen the plate while the recess at the other side of the plateforms a receptacle or pocket, in combination with transparent materialheld in said receptacle or pocket so as to close the opening in theplate.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LAMBERT ANTON JOSEPH lllUlihER-THYM.

Witnesses:

IRME DOLCE, CARL SCHNEIDER.

